Google has posted on its blog about the continued development and production of a prototype vehicle that that is completely self-driving. The self-driving prototype has no steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal… because they don’t need them. Google’s software and sensors do all the work, all the passenger does is hop in and press go!

Google has kept the design of the vehicles basic in terms of design, comfort and function, because the company wants to learn more from the prototypes without wasting time on creature comforts; that said, the car still has a couple of seats, arm rests and room for a few bags, but they’re pretty basic.

This marks an important step toward improving road safety and transforming mobility for millions of people. Personally, being a disabled person who has yet to get his license, this could persuade me to reconsider getting my drivers license, purely because it will allow me to drive without having to get modifications done to any vehicle I purchase and use daily.

Google have posted a video (below), showing how the prototype vehicle has been going in live tests and it certainly warrants a check in my book.

It will be interesting to see if Google can bring this feature and certainly the actual vehicle itself to the marketplace, but we will have to wait and see. You can head over to their blog to keep up to date on the project milestones as well as upcoming news.

Alex Dennis Associate

By day, Alex works within the Industrial Relations field/occupation but by night and in his spare down time he searches the net for anything and everything relating to Android and Chrome related products and news.

Other various interests Alex has include, Accessible transport for people with disabilities along with LGBTIQ and Health related fields and interests for again for people with disabilities.

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Tried the Google Blog link, and the URL is glitched. There’s the URL for a blog post about Chromebook mashed ahead of the actual URL for the blog post for the car.

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5 years ago

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JeniSkunk

I really hope the idea does completely come to fruition. I was never a confident driver and was pushed without choice, into getting my drivers by the DSS (currently known as Centrelink). In 2005, after not having done any driving for 10 years, I was glad to get rid of my drivers license and give up any possibility of driving. Something like this, though, would make me reconsider that decision.